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MYRO: High School Expectations

The following are clarifications that MYRO and NERRS have developed to include in the High School game. They are focused on maintaining the traditional values of rugby, and embracing the safety standards World Rugby is implementing.

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Safety is the top concern - dangerous play will not be tolerated 

  • Any contact above the armpit is "high". 

    1. When contact is high, no player should expect leniency from the referee, high tackles are unacceptable and will result in cards as deemed appropriate by the referee.

    2. Any contact to the head in the process of entering a contact area or tackle (including ball carrier deliberately making contact with tackler's head) should be a red card, usual mitigations apply to reduce to yellow (attacking player ducking/slipping etc.)

      1. a player (except the ball carrier) entering the contact area upright has already decided that head contact is acceptable to them, and as such, this is a premeditated action

    3. Any contact to the head even when not in the contact area, such as a stiff arm by the ball carrier to the face or throat of a potential tackler is dangerous and should result in a penalty and warning to the attacking player - usual caveats for repeat offenses

      1. it's too easy to accidentally make contact in the eye, jam the throat etc. a stiff arm should be to the chest - contact from a stiff arm is always premeditated

  • No lift, tip or dump tackles  - immediate penalty, and a warning must be given to the tackler

    1. If tacklee’s hips are above shoulders - even if not a spear tackle, yellow card

    2. Spear tackle - red card

  • Entering the contact area out of control or immediately diving off feet is considered dangerous. 

 

Injuries - when hurt, encourage players to take their time, stop clock etc.

It is preferable for a player to have sufficient time to run off an injury without the pressure of resuming the game.

 

  1. Potential head injuries must be removed from the field as soon as the athletic trainer considers it to be safe.

  2. Coaches can choose to pull players immediately

 

Explanations - provide explanations at free kicks, penalties and when cards are issued

This is not expected if the attacking team chooses to go quickly from a penalty

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Leniency - allow corrections in for incorrect formations at set pieces, and to assume repeat offenses are more driven by lack of understanding rather than deliberate gamesmanship.

Referees are permitted to read the situation and choose not to allow leniency if appropriate.

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Respect - we expect players and coaches to refer to referees as Sir or Ma'am, to be polite, show good sportspersonship towards their opponents and be respectful at all times.

  1. Back chat/dissent from players will not be tolerated and may lead to immediate penalties, reversed decisions etc.

  2. Carrying the ball away from a penalty to delay the restart should result in +10 meters, without prior warnings

  3. Dissent by yelling at the referee, players or the opposition, by coaches or parents will not be tolerated. 

    • USA Rugby guidelines of Captains being asked by referees to warn the parties transgressing is to be expected, and repeated transgressions will lead to the offending party being ejected from the tournament.

MYRO: Middle School Variations

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Clarifications

Safety is the highest priority at 7/8th grade. The objective is to over referee safety and to penalize, warn and issue cards earlier than in senior games to enforce safe behavior immediately and not after an injury – the guidance provided is deliberately inflexible and is there to remove doubt from coaches and players’ minds as to how a given play will be handled.

 

Safe tackles are at or below the waist with at least one arm wrapped around the ball carrier – all other tackles are “dangerous”, but the degree of “danger” controls the level of sanction as laid out in the table, and in the diagram below.

 

  • The referee MUST give a formal warning to every player whose high tackle warrants only penalty

  • The team captain MUST be present for all formal warnings

  • All tackles that start above the armpits MUST receive a red card – the referee should err on caution and issue the card if in doubt.

  • All tackles that end up above the armpits and started above the waist MUST receive a yellow card

  • All tackles that end up above the armpits and started below the waist are penalties with formal warnings, but the referee can decide if a card is required

  • All seat belt tackles that do not connect with the neck or head MUST receive a yellow card, all other seat belt tackles MUST receive a red card

  • Card levels can be reduced (red to yellow and yellow to warning) if the tackler is clearly trying to pull out of the tackle, or there are other mitigating circumstances – referee’s sole discretion

MYRO_Middle School_Tackle Height_20240828.png

Repeat offenses for unsafe play that don’t warrant cards:

  • When the same offense, that warrants a formal warning, is committed twice by different players on the same team, it is recommended the whole team receive a formal warning – the captain must be told to talk to his team at the second formal warning.

  • When the same offense, that warrants a formal warning, is committed by the same player, it is recommended that the player is issued a yellow card

  • When the same offense, that warrants a formal warning, is committed three times by different players on the same team it is recommended that the player is issued a yellow card

 

Repeat offenses in normal play:

  • It is preferable that cards are NOT issued for repeat offenses. The referee is asked to consider this a coaching opportunity and explain to the player and captain that the same offense if being committed repeatedly and ask if they understand the offense, and the correct adherence to the laws. 

  • In the event that multiple explanations have not helped the player understand the law, the referee can ask the coach to take the player off, if sufficient substitutes are available, to explain the law being infringed.

Ruck:

  • Players MUST enter the ruck under control – not at a run and be clearly coming from an onside position – the goal is to have a safe competition, not for players to be “cleared out”.

  • No contact above the armpits, other than via shoulder on shoulder as if in a scrum

Kick-off:

  • Kicking team can follow the kick off and recover the ball, but only if they have unimpeded access. They must not compete with the receiving team for a clean catch or push the receiving team off a ball that is on or bouncing along the ground.

Kicking:

  • No up and under/Garryowen kicks

  • No in air competition to catch the ball – the non-kicking team always has first rights to the ball, but the kicking team can play the ball if they have unimpeded access

Distances:

  • It is assumed pitches will be ¾ sized, and not marked with 5m, 10m, 15m or 22m lines or hatchings. Distances shown are guidelines for the referee - referee should advise players if they need to retreat

Try value - 5 and 7 points

  • If the field of play does not include goal posts, a zone is created approximately 4 meters wide and the full depth of the in goal area, the 7 point zone. The area is half way between the the touch in-goal lines. If the ball is grounded legally by an attacking player in this zone, the attacking team is awarded 7 points. If the ball is grounded legally by an attacking player outside this zone, but within the in-goal area, 5 points are awarded to the attacking team. If the ball touches the line of the 7 point zone, it is considered inside the 7 point zone.

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General

In tournaments, cards are applicable to the game – i.e. receiving a red card does not preclude a player from playing in other matches. However, if a player receives two red cards, the two game referees must agree if the player can play in subsequent matches – there is no appeal process.

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The referee must make reasonable efforts to explain why cards were issued to the coaches either at half time or full time to allow the coach an opportunity to work with the player – this is not an opportunity for the coach to debate the on field decision.

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 “Standard Offside line” covers all offside situations not defined in the table or in the clarifications.

World Rugby 7s laws apply to all situations unless overridden in the table above.

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